Stony Brook University Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Bachelor's in Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
- Public university
- Stony Brook, NY
- About 106 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
Stony Brook University biochemistry and molecular biology graduates earn less than graduates of most biochemistry and molecular biology programs nationally, $29,649 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $18,968 in federal loans, less than at 75% of biochemistry and molecular biology programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the New York median of $36,823.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The New York and national columns are the medians across all biochemistry and molecular biology bachelor's programs that report the figure.
Five years out, Stony Brook University graduates earn more than the national figure and about the same as the New York median.
Debt and first-year pay at every New York biochemistry and molecular biology program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the New York medians.
Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.
What graduates earn over time
Pay rises about 149% between the first and fifth year.
Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.
Does family income change the outcome?
Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned more in their first year than other graduates. They also borrowed less. At this program, the outcome does not look worse for students with less money.
Paying back the loans
On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $201 a month, or 8.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
84% of graduates (80 of 95) were working in New York one year after graduating. Prices in the New York area are about 13% above the national average, so a $29,649 salary here buys what about $26,340 buys in a typical US city.
Careers this field leads to
These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to biochemistry and molecular biology, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
$87,760Median pay in New York. 7,690 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: doctoral or professional degree.
Natural Sciences Managers
$134,680Median pay in New York. 5,690 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.
Biological Technicians
$61,210Median pay in New York. 5,050 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.
Biochemists and Biophysicists
$101,080Median pay in New York. 980 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 12% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: doctoral or professional degree.
About Stony Brook University
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ranks 27th of 33 bachelor's programs at Stony Brook University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($94,853), Medical Laboratory Science ($92,286), and Diagnostic and Treatment Professions ($92,165).
Other biochemistry and molecular biology bachelor's programs near Stony Brook
Common questions
The median graduate earns $29,649 one year after graduating and $73,829 five years after. The median across biochemistry and molecular biology bachelor's programs in New York is $36,823.
The median federal loan balance is $18,968, which ranks 3rd lowest of 8 biochemistry and molecular biology bachelor's programs in New York. That works out to about $201 a month over 10 years.
It depends on your other options. Debt equals 64% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 57%. Compare the cost with other New York programs before deciding.
Most do. 84% (80 of 95) were working in New York one year after graduating.
About this data
- Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
- Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
- Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
- Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of New York comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
- Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
- School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the biochemistry and molecular biology program.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
- Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024